Love Alive
by AngelxCollins
Summary: Eight high school friends show that even amidst such adversity love and hope can thrive if only they realize that there is no day but today.
1. Voice Mail 1

**I don't own RENT.**

_Brrrring, brrrring._

Roger Davis, senior at Alphabet Academy felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He had set all calls to go straight to voice mail; he didn't feel like dealing with too much right now. He sighed and flipped the phone open to listen to the message.

"Hey Roger, it's Dave." The voice paused and replied to someone else, "That'll be 4.50." He returned to the phone, "This is the last time I let you get away with skipping out on job. Listen, I went through a lot of trouble to get a highschooler the main act. Don't bother showing up next week, you've been 86'd."

_Oooh, great, this is just great._ Roger thought to himself. He looked over at his best friend, Mark Cohen, who was also a senior. At least Mark didn't look like he was doing too hot either. _Ah well, it's a start._

Mark checked the number on the screen of his cell. Mom. He dialed his voice mail number.

"Oh, goodness! Well that was a loud beep. I don't know if I'm doing this message thing right… Mark? Are you there? Well, I just wanted to call… and say I love you. I'll miss you today. I can't believe my baby is a senior! Cindy and the kids are here, they send their love. Oh! I packed you a Hot Pocket, don't forget to eat lunch, Mark. And Mark, I got a call from TD Banknorth… I wasn't joking when I said you were cut off. Love Mom!"

Mark rolled his eyes, just peachy. Now he wouldn't have any money to buy gas. Oh god, he'd have to take the bus. This day sucked! Mark waited for the next message to start playing.

"Dude, it's Benny. I know it's the first day back, but I need that summer essay. Something about our vacation or something? Well, make it good. Don't try to hide. I'll be finding you. Later…"

Mark snapped his phone shut. Benny turned into the school jerk when he started dating a debutant named Alison Grey. She was rich and always used Daddy's money to buy him whatever he wanted. Mark wasn't exactly jealous though... it was just, Benny had been such a great guy before. Oh well, better get started on that report.

**Okay! So this is gonna be not like the other story I did since that kinda sucked. But I'll actually try to make this one really readable. The plot is just like RENT except in high school. I'll have a chap. for every song from the play. :D Much love, Muffy!  
**


	2. Welcome Back to Town

The first day back to school was obviously not going to be any fun. But with the stress of annoying moms, writing essays for bullies, and getting fired from jobs, everything felt worse.

Mark and Roger walked together down the hallway, purposely trying to be late. And Mark wanted to lighten the mood.

"I could throw my body out the window right now. My brains would splatter and my guts would steam on the sidewalk. No one'd still care."

Roger laughed, "I could pay attention in school, study for something that pays a salary. I would have to work illegally at the bar just to get a gig every now and then with my band." True, Roger wanted to be a rockstar, but sometimes money proved to be essential.

"The wheels in my mind just aren't turning." Mark slowed his pace, really not wanting to go to any Welcome Back to Hell assembly.

"I could tap my forehead with a hammer and I wouldn't have to wake up and suffer through the school week. It's boring and brainless and I can't stand the dull teachers."

Mark nodded in sympathy, "I should stand on the roof and hurl my body onto some rich kid's sports car. Maureen could kick my frozen body, shout my name then drop dead." Maureen… he _still_ wasn't over her. And the news he had received from the ever over dramatic girl didn't help his happiness meter rise.

Roger knew Maureen had dumped him… but that couldn't be all, "She's got a new man? What's his name?"

"Joanne." Roger burst out laughing. Oh that was good. Only Mark could turn a girl gay. Only Mark.

"Mark, I think it's clear that we're gonna have one hell of a year."

Mark sighed, "Unfortunately it's not looking too great. Come on let's go to the gym… get this thing over with."

* * *

Meanwhile, over in an abandoned side hallway, three punks were seeking out a new victim. Tom Collins had transferred back to Alphabet Academy, his best friends Roger, Mark, and Maureen had all gone there freshman and sophomore year. Collins' family moved to Boston and Collins hadn't visited any of his friends. Sure they might be pissed. But imagine the looks on their faces when they noticed wandering down the same good ole hallways again.

The three miscreants cornered in on Collins, "Hey man, good to see you back."

Collins who had been looking down answered, "Good to be back." Then he looked up. Shit. He had gotten those three jerks in major trouble two years ago. He had snuck some weed into the leader's car, they were gonna smoke it at lunch time. But it just so happened that the campus police were doing a routine drug test and saw the four boys in the car.

Yep. They were busted. Collins had booked it out of there ASAP. The three in the group were expelled for the rest of that year and had to be homeschooled. Collins wondered why they never ratted him out… guess they wanted revenge.

The two guys on either side of their leader grabbed onto Collins arms, making him drop his junk. They took turns shoving him, throwing kicks and punches. The bell rang and the three dispersed.

Collins moaned and put a hand to his nose. Oh god, blood, what a perfect way to be welcomed back to town.

He let out another groan of pain and leaned his head against the wall. Collins let his eyes flutter closed for a moment when he heard the pitter-patter of sneakers against the linoleum tile.

**Okays, this **_**will**_** be having everyone in it. :D I'm gonna throw Angel and Joanne and Maureen in the next chap. Yay! Thank you if you're reading. Hehe!**


	3. You Okay Honey?

_Collins let his eyes flutter closed for a moment when he heard the pitter-patter of sneakers against the linoleum tile._

"Oh my god, you okay honey?"

Collins reopened his eyes and looked up. He saw a petite boy staring down at him with a worried look on his pretty little face.

"Honey…?"

Collins snapped out of it, "Uhh, I guess so."

The boy pouted his lips, "Do you need help standing up?" he asked putting his thumb in his sleeve and tracing it around the blood on Collins' nose.

Collins winced as the boy gripped onto his arm, attempting to pull him to his feet. "Who did this?" the boy tilted his head to the side.

"Just a bunch of assholes."

"Did they take anything or…?"

Collins looked around, "It would seem so." The boy continued to hold Collins up. He looked into Collins eyes and a bright smile spread across his face.

* * *

"Joanne! Hurry up, as the class president of the sophomore class I am entitled to make the announcements. _Every_ morning. I'm stressing here!" she looked at her girlfriend, "Kiss?"

Joanne rolled her eyes, "I forgive you, Maureen." She crossed her arms then kissed Maureen. They were in the 'fish bowl' which was dedicated to making the morning announcements. Joanne had promised she knew how to set everything up, so that Maureen wouldn't need to call Mark. Whom she insisted on bringing up and comparing Joanne against… _a lot._

* * *

"I'm Angel." The boy kept smiling.

Collins couldn't help returning the gesture, despite the pain shooting through his whole body, "Friends call me Collins."

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Angel swung Collins' and his backpacks over his free shoulder.

_Dang this boy is strong._ Then Collins noticed an unfamiliar tingle that lingered in his stomach, he gulped nervously. _What was _that_? I think I'm… falling for him?_

Huh. Well, this was new. Collins never had a girlfriend, or boyfriend. He was just kind of… Collins. The cool guy that drank booze, smoked weed, and hacked into his parent's bank account. The guy who joked he'd spend his life as a bitter old man sitting on his porch screaming, "Get off my lawn!" to anyone who came within a fifty foot radius of his property.

Collins faked a stumble so Angel would get closer, "It's okay, sweetie, we're almost there."

On the outside, Collins nodded his house. On the inside though… he was grinning from ear to ear.

Even if he got beaten to a pulp the first day back, it wasn't so bad. This was going to be some year all right.

* * *

Back with Mark and Roger, they continued their conversation where we last left them.

Roger glanced over at Mark, "If they just tossed my dead body in the dumpster, my finger wouldn't bleed and blister and scar. My head wouldn't hurt from the crap I play on my guitar."

Mark smirked, "If I killed myself… or studied business, no more parents getting on my back about how being a director is no career."

"Some life that we've chosen." Roger laughed, sadly.

**So like Collins is supposed to be really nervous and cute, like he REALLY likes Angel. To the point where he's Carlton dancing. Seriously, I wanted to put that in, but I didn't because that ahb-viously wouldn't work out. But just keep that dance in mind. xD Yeeeah!**


	4. You're A Fool

Mark and Roger had made a pit stop to the bathroom. Mark started to push the door open to leave.

"You're off?" Roger asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mark shrugged, "You want me to wait here for Benny to find me?"

"What else is there to do?"

Mark took a second, "Anything but going to see Maureen make a dumb Welcome Back speech."

"So you just want to leave?" Roger double checked.

"Yeah, I guess." Roger shook his head.

"You know, for someone who tries to act so cool, you are a _fool_."

Mark nodded kind of feeling bad for himself, "I know…"

"She shouldn't even be ready for another half an hour." Roger pointed out.

"If you _need_ to go see it, we can, Roger. But we can go find something else to do until then."

"Some of us don't have our parent's money to go do whatever we want." Mark sighed towards Roger.

Mark hadn't mentioned that his parents cut him off… that might be too embarrassing even for Mark.

"At least I do things Mr. Hasn't Admitted to Having Fun Since My Girlfriend April-" Mark stopped. Sure, Roger wasn't completely over the fact his old girlfriend killed herself freshmen year. Now Roger was mostly using that as an excuse so he wouldn't have to go out and live.

"And who's afraid to go see their ex?"

_Oooh yeah_, Mark thought, _that'd be me._

"I know," Mark agreed, "I'm chicken shit… a hypocrite. But let's make a deal."

Roger gave Mark a questioning look, "I dunno about this…"

"I'll go see Maureen if you come with me. Just ten minutes."

"I won't fit in, all right!" Roger claimed.

During freshmen year everyone would ditch study halls and assemblies to go to the diner across the street, The Life Café. Roger hadn't been there since then.

"Roger, all you do is go to work, school, and then back home. I know you're trying to do the whole music thing… and your songs are catchy and all. But I feel like you're wasting time-"

"No kidding. I wish all those days I wasted before I would've spent with April. Maybe she wouldn't have… done what she did if I spent more time obsessing over details like you do."

"Roger! I _do_ spend too much time obsessing over things, and it's sad. For someone who's so cool, _you're_ the fool." Mark shook his head, "You want to rediscover the spark, leave something behind and share it with someone. Just face your fears."

"What's that," Roger smiled, "Maureen… does that ring a bell?"

"Touché."

Mark began to open the door to the bathroom once more. He immediately ducked back in.

"Shit! I think that was Benny."

"Hey, Cohen!" a familiar voice called from down the hall.

Roger's mouth dropped, "Well lock the door!"

Mark locked it… they waited a second.

_Knock, knock, knock._ "Damn." Mark cursed just loud enough for Roger to hear.

**I went driving for my first time today, so I wasn't sure if I'd get to update or not. 8D But I had time for this one. Oooh, and it's not gonna be Benny bee tee dubs. He is coming in right after next chap. though. Kay kays. :D Thanks so much for the reviews!**

**Everyone that's reviewed or even just read, thank you so much! I love seeing how many views I have. :) It means so much. The next three days are my last days of Driver's Ed. So my chaps. might be longer at that, hehee! :)**


	5. Today For You

Mark and Roger held their breath, thinking Benny would be ten seconds away from pounding their faces in.

Then something slid under the door, "A Caramello?" Mark questioned, very confused.

"Marlboro?" Roger asked as a cigarette followed the candy bar.

"Must be Santa Claus." Mark reasoned.

They heard a voice from the other side of the door, "Hold your applause!"

Roger unlocked the door and ripped it open. He and Mark yelled out, "Collins!"

Collins let out a low chuckle, "You guys playing Anne Frank?"

Mark closed the door as Collins limped in. "Where have you been, man? It's been months since anyone's heard from you." They both enveloped Collins in a group man-hug.

"Yeah, I know Roger. The 'rents decided it was time to come back home. Got expelled." Mark raised an eyebrow. Collins continued, "Theory on Actual Reality. Guess I intruded on the privacy of the school by hacking the computer system." He earned a high-five from Roger.

"What up with the leg," Roger asked, noticing Collins' hand grabbing his knee.

Collins grinned, "Ah yes. Gentlemen," he opened the door, "I'd like to introduce to you, my saver, Angel Dumott Schunard."

A pretty girl sauntered into the bathroom; she had short black hair, a short skirt, and not-so-short black heels on. Roger gave a low whistle before realizing this hot girl was the same sweet boy he had seen in the hallway earlier that day.

"And you should hear her beat."

Mark came to a realization, "You play out on the street, right?"

She smiled, "You know Alison Grey?"

Roger rolled his eyes, "She's the girl our ex-friend ditched us for."

Angel took a deep breath, and in a girlish-hype she squeaked out in one long sentence, "A lady pulled over and paid me a grand for playing really loud 'cause Alison's dog, Evita, she's wicked loud and, and and," Angel's giggled, "The dog jumped out the 23rd story window!" she clapped her hands excitedly.

Roger and Mark burst out laughing.

"For you," Angel smiled and put a fifty dollar bill in both of the boys' hands.

"Hey, thanks!" Roger grinned and shoved the money in his otherwise empty wallet. But Mark shook his head.

"Oh no, Angel, I couldn't take your money."

"Oh honey, think nothing of it. I got a five-hundred buck bonus for trimming her tree."

They were interrupted by another knock. Everyone froze when they heard:

"The notebook _Alison_-"

Benny.

**Sorry for taking so long. I got an 88 on my driver's ed class. So now I just have to go driving for four more ours and I get my permit!! :D Yay! But anywho. Next chapter'll probably be up tomorrow if anyone's gonna read. Hehe! And this Friday is the Senior Ex. So me and my friend Cayte are doing Light My Candle. Lolz.**


End file.
